Online community building in classrooms and schools : using the internet to extend teachers??? face-to-face community practices

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Learning communicative competences through celebrity gossip blogs

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A qualitative analysis of immigrant population health practices in the Girona Healthcare Region

The research we present here forms part of a two-phase project - one quantitative and the other qualitative - assessing the use of primary health care services. This paper presents the qualitative phase of said research, which is aimed at ascertaining the needs, beliefs, barriers to access and health practices of the immigrant population in comparison with the native population, as well as the perceptions of healthcare professionals. Moroccan and sub-Saharan were the immigrants to who the qualitative phase was specifically addressed. The aims of this paper are as follows: to analyse any possible implications of family organisation in the health practices of the immigrant population; to ascertain social practices relating to illness; to understand the significances of sexual and reproductive health practices; and to ascertain the ideas and perceptions of immigrants, local people and professionals regarding health and the health system. Methods: qualitative research based on discursive analysis. Data gathering techniques consisted of discussion groups with health system users and semi-structured individual interviews with healthcare professionals. The sample was taken from the Basic Healthcare Areas of Salt and Banyoles (belonging to the Girona Healthcare Region), the discussion groups being comprised of (a) 6 immigrant Moroccan women, (b) 7 immigrant sub-Saharan African women and (c) 6 immigrant and native population men (2 native men, 2 Moroccan men and 2 sub-Saharan men); and the semi-structured interviews being conducted with the following healthcare professionals: (a) 3 gynaecologists, (b) 3 nurses and 1 administrative staff. Results: use of the healthcare system is linked to the perception of not being well, knowledge of the healthcare system, length of time resident in Spain and interiorization of traditional Western medicine as a cure mechanism. The divergences found among the groups of immigrants, local people and healthcare professionals with regard to healthcare education, use of the healthcare service, sexual and reproductive healthcare and reticence with regard to being attended by healthcare personnel of the opposite sex demonstrate a need to work with the immigrant population as a heterogeneous group. Conclusions: the results we have obtained support the idea that feeling unwell is a psycho-social process, as it takes place within a specific socio-cultural situation and spans a range of beliefs, perceptions and ideas regarding symptomology and how to treat it

La evaluación como instrumento de mejora de la calidad del aprendizaje. Propuesta de intervención psicopedagógica para el aprendizaje del idioma inglés

La evaluación del aprendizaje del inglés en las carreras que estudian esta lengua con fines específicos en la Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas da cuenta de niveles de competencia comunicativa que no se corresponden con las exigencias que los estudiantes encontrarán en la práctica profesional. El estudio se dirige a la mejora del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del inglés centrado en modificaciones al proceso de evaluación. Este se concibe como proceso integrado a la enseñanza y el aprendizaje mediante el uso de formas alternativas de evaluación. Estas formas deben propiciar una evaluación formativa de la lengua en situaciones auténticas de comunicación. El trabajo se centra en la formación del profesor para introducir los cambios en sus prácticas evaluativas y como resultado se hacen factibles transformaciones a corto plazo que repercuten en un mejor aprendizaje de la lengua. La investigación se realizó desde una perspectiva interpretativa, utilizando una metodología cualitativa.

O círculo de eranos: a experiência da educação do campo ou como os contextos podem gerar

RESUMO: Estamos a vivenciar dois fatos paradoxais: de um lado, uma organização da escola instituída que gera a autoconservação das práticas do professor e, do outro, tendências nos plano científico e do discurso político que apelam ao retorno ao ator - que reconhece o professor como sujeito de seu saber e fazer. Foi neste contexto que se realizou a pesquisa subjacente a esta tese sobre a formação docente num projeto de escolarização que se fundamenta numa perspetiva de educação popular contra-hegemónica, edificada, no Brasil, como ‗educação do campo‘. Buscou-se compreender a vivência docente, suas perceções e aprendizagens. Desenvolveu-se a investigação a partir das questões: é possível, no contexto atual de mudanças sociais direcionadas ao processo cada vez maior de individuação docente, a formação em democracia participativa numa experiência de educação popular? Como ela se estabelece? O que ela nos ensina? A metodologia assentou na observação participativa das reuniões de planeamento, avaliação e replaneamento dos(as) professores(as) e coordenadores, numa proposta local de educação do campo - do Programa Nacional de Educação na Reforma agrária. As reuniões e escolarização ocorreram em Ilhéus/Bahia/Brasil, durante os anos de 2005-2006. As referências teóricas para a análise empírica do material coletado foram: a perspetiva da reflexão-ação emancipatória de Carr e Kemmis (1998), que compreende as instituições educacionais criadas por pressões sociais e políticas; e a conceção de emancipação desenvolvida por Freire e por Habermas, assente na ação comunicativa/dialógica. Para a análise utilizou-se o método da Análise Crítica de Discurso (ACD), cuja principal referência foi Fairclough. Nas narrativas das reuniões percebeu-se o desenvolvimento de uma polidez positiva – atos de fala que demonstram o falante desejando estabelecer o consenso com ouvinte; assinalada por estruturas modais que direcionaram para a abertura de relacionamento e participação mútua entre professores(as) e coordenadores do projeto. O conteúdo manifesto das falas amparou-se numa perspetiva de educador que se constrói na prática, e, ao mesmo tempo, a constrói, mas que, entretanto, necessita de aportes teóricos críticos no processo de embate epistémico entre os saberes da vida quotidiana concreta e os saberes científicos. A função interpessoal foi expressa pela arquitetura dialógica, permitindo um processo de construção mútua de escola e professores(as). Pode-se afirmar que a prática analisada indica que nestes tempos, de controlo intenso das instituições escolares, de competição, de solidão, é obviamente necessária a organização coletiva de professores (as), de movimentos sociais e universidades, amparados e financiados por ordenamentos legais (conquistados pela população), para consolidar e ampliar projetos críticos de escolarização, mudando, reciprocamente, escolas e professores(as). ABSTRACT: We are experiencing two paradoxical facts: the organization of the established school which generates the self-preservation of teaching practices and, on the other hand, there is a political and scientific trend that claims the return of the ―actor‖ – the teacher being the subject of his knowledge and actions. It was therefore in this context, that the underlying research for this Thesis was conducted. It concerns to the teacher training in an educational project which is based on the perspective of a counter-hegemonic and popular education available to people at the Brazilian countryside – also called ―Field Education‖. We searched the understanding of the educational experience, its perceptions and learning. The investigation was developed from two fundamental questions: Is it possible to have the experience of a popular education system in a functioning democracy, at the light of the recent social changes that lead to a greater individuation? How is it established? What can we learn from it? The methodology was settled on the participant observation of the planning and evaluation meetings of teachers and coordinators of the National Education Program in the Land Reform in Brazil. These meetings occurred in Ilheús- Bahia- Brazil during the years of 2005-2006. The theoretical references to the empirical analyses of the material collected were: the perspective of the reflection – action emancipative of Carr & Kemmis (1998), which comprehends the educational institutions created by social and political pressures; and the conception of emancipation developed by Freire and Habermas, which is settled on the communicative-dialogical action. For the analysis it was elected the method of Critical Analysis of Discourse (CAD),which main reference was Fairclough. During the account of the meetings it was noticed the development of a positive politeness – which reveals the desire of the speaker to reach an agreement with the listener, signalized by modal structures that directed to an open and participative relationship between teachers and coordinators of the project. The manifest content of the speeches was sustained by the educator perspective, which is built on the daily practice. However, it needs some basic theoretical contributions to the epistemic struggle between concrete ordinary life and the scientific knowledge. The interpersonal function was expressed by dialogical architecture, allowing a mutual process of construction that involves the school and the teachers. The practice analyzed indicates that, more than ever, due to the massive control of the institutions, the extreme competition and solitude, the collective organization of the teachers, the social movements and the universities is necessary. They should be supported and financed by legal systems to consolidated and amplify important education projects, bringing necessary changes for schools and teachers reciprocally.

A study of the TAGS, an enduring teaching tool: teachers’ perspectives on the Teacher Assessment of Grammatical Structures teaching practices and application

This paper is studied look at the Teacher’s Assessment of Grammatical Structures (TAGS), Teacher Assessment of Spoken Language (TASL), and Cottage Acquisition Scales for Listening, Language and Speech (CASLLS) criterion-referenced language assessments as well as an inquiry into how teachers of the deaf use the TAGS currently as a teaching tool.

The development of language and communicative behaviors in deaf/hearing twins

This paper examines language development in twins--one that is hearing and the other that is hearing impaired.

Evidence-based (or not!) practices used for reading instruction in oral deaf education schools

This descriptive study aims at determining the most widely used reading instructional practices that are used by teachers of the deaf in oral deaf education schools.

Risk of Agricultural Practices and Habitat Change to Farmland Birds

Many common bird species have declined as a result of agricultural intensification and this could be mitigated by organic farming. We paired sites for habitat and geographical location on organic and nonorganic farms in Ontario, Canada to test a priori predictions of effects on birds overall, 9 guilds and 22 species in relation to candidate models for farming practices (13 variables), local habitat features (12 variables), or habitat features that influence susceptibility to predation. We found that: (1) Overall bird abundance, but not richness, was significantly (p < 0.05) higher on organic sites (mean 43.1 individuals per site) than nonorganic sites (35.8 individuals per site). Significantly more species of birds were observed for five guilds, including primary grassland birds, on organic vs. nonorganic sites. No guild had higher richness or abundance on nonorganic farms; (2) Farming practice models were the best (ΔAIC < 4) for abundance of birds overall, primary grassland bird richness, sallier aerial insectivore richness and abundance, and abundance of ground nesters; (3) Habitat models were the best for overall richness, Neotropical migrant abundance, richness and abundance of Ontario-USA-Mexico (short-distance) migrants and resident richness; (4) Predation models were the best for richness of secondary grassland birds and ground feeders; (5) A combination of variables from the model types were best for richness or abundance overall, 13 of 18 guilds (richness and abundance) and 16 of 22 species analyzed. Five of 10 farming practice variables (including herbicide use, organic farm type) and 9 of 13 habitat variables (including hedgerow length, proportion of hay) were significant in best models. Risk modeling indicated that herbicide use could decrease primary grassland birds by one species (35% decline from 3.4 to 2.3 species) per site. Organic farming could benefit species of conservation concern by 49% (an increase from 7.6 to 11.4 grassland birds). An addition of 63 m of hedgerow could increase abundance and richness of short distance migrants by 50% (3.0 to 4.8 and 1.3 to 2.0, respectively). Increasing the proportion of hay on nonorganic farms to 50% could increase abundance of primary grassland bird by 40% (6.7 to 9.4). Our results provide support for alternative farmland designs and agricultural management systems that could enhance select bird species in farmland.

Adaptive project planning and management based on best practices - COBRA system

Planning a project with proper considerations of all necessary factors and managing a project to ensure its successful implementation will face a lot of challenges. Initial stage in planning a project for bidding a project is costly, time consuming and usually with poor accuracy on cost and effort predictions. On the other hand, detailed information for previous projects may be buried in piles of archived documents which can be increasingly difficult to learn from the previous experiences. Project portfolio has been brought into this field aiming to improve the information sharing and management among different projects. However, the amount of information that could be shared is still limited to generic information. This paper, we report a recently developed software system COBRA to automatically generate a project plan with effort estimation of time and cost based on data collected from previous completed projects. To maximise the data sharing and management among different projects, we proposed a method of using product based planning from PRINCE2 methodology. (Automated Project Information Sharing and Management System -�COBRA) Keywords: project management, product based planning, best practice, PRINCE2